Chapter 9
I count to ten in my head and take a deep breath. Nope, still seeing fucking red. Why the fuck does she have to hug everyone?
“I fucking regret saving his ass right now,” I grunt to Bray.
“No you don’t, mate. Besides, you got nothing to worry about with that one. Other than waking up with your throat possibly slashed in your sleep, because she’s the single most unhinged person I’ve ever met. But she’s loyal to the bone,” he says.
“She’s not unhinged. She’s fucking perfect.” I smile with pride, and take the four steps needed to reach said perfection. Pulling her off yet another man. “We really gotta stop meeting like this, mo mhuirnín .”
“Well, you best learn how not to be a caveman then,” she says. “I’m assuming you know Levi?”
“I do.” I glare at the guy who just had his arms around my girl.
“Mate, you look tired. Guess it would be tiresome running from your family, huh?” Levi directs at me.
“What have you heard?” I ask him.
“Other than there’s a nice bounty on your head, not much.
” Levi lifts a shoulder. “Don’t worry, mate, I hardly doubt anyone is going to be looking for you here.
I sure as shit didn’t expect to see you.
And with her? How are you still alive? If she doesn’t kill you, her brother or father will.
Actually, her uncles and cousins might too.
And her grandfather’s a really scary-ass dude—watch out for that one. ”
“Levi, shut it. No one is killing my damn boyfriend. The next person to mention it is going to lose their tongue, and then find it again up their ass,” Aurora growls out. Yep, growls.
I smile. I love it when she’s feisty.
“Aurora, language and stop with the threats already,” Lorenzo says.
“It’s not a threat. I will do it,” Aurora tells him.
“Oh, I’m fully aware,” her brother throws back. “Now, someone fill me in on how you two are connected to this one?” He points at Bray and Levi, and then to me.
“Our fathers did business together a few times,” Bray tells him.
“He saved my life once, so I owe him one,” Levi says.
“How’d he save your life?” Lorenzo asks.
“You know, the usual way. I didn’t end up with a bullet in my head, but you shoulda seen the other guy,” Levi answers vaguely.
I snicker. There was nothing left of the other guy to see. I shot his whole fucking face off. I swear I was washing brain matter out of my hair for a week after that.
“If either of them invites you to an Irish bar, just say no,” I add.
“Well, this has been fun and all, but we’ve had a long flight, and I’m tired.” Aurora takes hold of my hand and drags me out of the kitchen. “Connor, walk me to my bedroom.”
“Connor , come and find me. You’ve got ten minutes,” Lorenzo calls out after us.
It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell him he can shove his orders where the sun doesn’t fucking shine. I don’t, though. I need to keep the peace. For her.
When we get to Aurora’s door, she opens it and tries to drag me inside. “I can’t go in there,” I tell her, planting my feet firmly on the ground.
“Seriously? Why?” she asks.
“Because it’s your brother’s house. We should respect his rules,” I explain, and I mean it. We should. I also don’t want to get my fucking head blown off.
“Your loss,” she says with a pout. “Actually, no, it’s my loss. Connor, you can’t expect me to just… go without.”
“While we’re in this house, we can survive, babe.”
“You might,” Aurora groans.
It’s not exactly going to be a piece of cake for me either. My dick gets hard every time I look at her. “It’s not forever,” I say.
“Just… you’re not going to leave, right?” she asks me.
My brows draw down. She’s really fucking stressed, thinking that I’m going to leave her. Why? Did our time apart fuck her up that much?
“I’m not leaving,” I say. “If you want, I’ll sit right outside this door all night while you sleep.”
“You need to sleep too. I don’t want that. What I want is you in the bed next to me.” She pouts again.
“I just think we shouldn’t rock the boat.”
“I don’t like it, but you’re running out of time. If you don’t go see him, he’ll come looking for you. He’s not going to kill you. Just so you know. Ignore whatever he says. Trust me, he’s way more scared of me than I am of him.”
“I have no doubt,” I grunt. It actually pisses me off how casually everyone throws around the fact that they think Aurora is crazy or unhinged. She’s neither. “Go get some rest. I’ll be right here when you wake up. I love you.”
“I love you.” Aurora leans forward and presses her lips against mine. I pull back before either of us gets carried away.
Then I turn and walk in the opposite direction. I have to before I say: Fuck it, getting shot in the head wouldn’t be so bad.
Shaking all thoughts of a naked Aurora from my mind, I run over what I’ve just learned.
I have a ten-million- dollar bounty on my head and so does my girlfriend.
I honestly thought I would have been worth more, but you can never tell with my parents.
I’m currently the biggest risk to their operation, the one person who could bring it all crumbling down around them.
I might not have known everything they were planning in New York, but I know enough from before then to bring them down if I wanted to.
The thing is, they are still my parents, and that’s a hard line to cross. I don’t regret choosing Aurora. I would do it again in a heartbeat. I just wish I could do it without having to destroy everyone I know in the process.
For the first time since Kenny’s death, I’m glad he’s not here to see this fallout. He’d be rooting for me, of course—well, before Aurora did what she did. Maybe not so much now.
I need to find out what my parents are up to. I have one in, and that’s through my best friend. I need to get my hands on a burner phone so I can contact Patty. Easier said than done when I’m stuck in this house.
I find my way to Lorenzo’s office. Raise my fist and knock twice.
“Come in,” his voice barks through the door.
I roll my eyes. I get it. He’s the big, scary brother. But seriously, I’m far from fucking scared. “You summoned me,” I say, opening the door and walking into the lion’s den.
“Close it,” Lorenzo replies, without moving to get out of his chair.
I shut the door, gently, because I’m Irish. Not a heathen. I look around the office. It’s decorated in your typical Italian mafia shit. Dark woods, while books that I know they’re not reading line the wall. Huge, ugly-ass paintings that probably cost more than the Rolls we arrived here in.
“I don’t like you, and I think my sister could do a hell of a lot better than you,” Lorenzo says.
“She could, but I hear Jesus wasn’t available.” I smirk. Because, let’s face it, other than the man himself, no one is good enough for Aurora. “Actually, come to think of it, not even the son of God is good enough for my girl,” I add. “Rumor is he hung out with prostitutes.”
“The only reason you’re still breathing is because your life seems to be attached to my sister’s heart. And I am not going to be the one to break it. Which means I have to do whatever it takes to keep your ass alive.” Lorenzo waves a hand at the chair in front of him.
“You have to do whatever it takes to keep her alive. I don’t need any favors,” I tell him.
“It’s not a favor. And if it were, I wouldn’t be doing it for you. Now, tell me what your parents next move is going to be.”
I raise a brow at him. Is he seriously asking me for intel right now? He wants me to rat on my own family? Even if I did know what their next move was going to be, would I tell him?
Probably, because it’d help to keep Aurora safe.
“I need a burner phone,” I say instead of answering him.
“Why?”
“So I can call someone who will give me an update. I might be a genius, but I’m not psychic. I can’t just tell you what my parents are up to. As far as I’m aware, they’re still back in New York.”
“I’ll get you a phone. But if you fuck over Aurora, if anything happens to her, I will make your death the slowest torture I’ve ever handed out,” he says.
“You should take some lessons in delivering threats from your little sister. She’s much better at them.” I smirk.
“Who do you think taught her that?” Lorenzo smiles proudly.
“One more thing, everyone needs to stop referring to her as insane or crazy. She’s neither, got it?” I tell him, standing to leave.
He doesn’t answer, just looks at me with a curious expression on his face. As I reach the door, he calls after me, “Connor, stay out of my sister’s room.”
“I will,” I tell him.
Then I walk back down the hallway towards Aurora’s bedroom and slide down the wall opposite her door. I promised her I’d be here when she woke up, and here is exactly where I intend to be.